Acumen’s new $90 million Kawisafi fund to back African climate-tech startups

Summary

Acumen has launched KawiSafi Fund II with $90 million of approved capital to back African climate-tech companies. The fund targets startups delivering renewable energy to underserved communities, resilient transport solutions, safer and affordable cooking alternatives, and carbon finance opportunities. While $90m is approved, $40m is currently committed and ready to deploy. KawiSafi builds on Fund I (launched in 2016 with $67m) and aims to reach 50 million people and avert 50 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions. Early activity includes co-leading an $11m Series A for Koolboks, a solar-powered freezer maker expanding across Africa.

Key Points

KawiSafi Fund II has $90m in approved capital; $40m is committed and deployable now.
The fund focuses on clean power access, climate-resilient transport, clean cooking, and carbon finance in Africa.
KawiSafi aims to impact 50 million people and prevent 50 million tonnes of emissions; Fund I previously reported impacting 213 million lives and saving 45 million tonnes (as of Q3 2024).
Investors supporting the fund include the African Development Bank’s SEFA, the Green Climate Fund, the Schmidt Family Foundation and the Quadrature Climate Foundation.
KawiSafi recently co-led an $11m Series A for Koolboks, signalling active dealmaking and a focus on scalable cleantech solutions.
The announcement underscores growing investor interest in Africa’s climate-tech sector, which accounted for around 21% of funding in H1 2025.
Africa receives only about 3% of global climate finance despite being highly vulnerable to climate impacts — KawiSafi aims to help close that gap.

Context and relevance

Climate finance to Africa has lagged relative to need; KawiSafi Fund II arrives at a critical moment to channel venture and growth capital into low-carbon, resilient solutions developed locally. For founders, this means an additional, credible capital partner that combines equity with operational support and market expansion help. For investors and policymakers, the fund highlights a maturing climate-tech ecosystem in Africa and the potential for blended capital to scale impact and mobilise private capital.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you care about climate tech in Africa — whether you’re a founder, investor or policymaker — this is big. It’s not just another fund; it’s a follow-up to a proven vehicle with serious backers and clear impact targets. Read on if you want to know where capital is heading, which sectors (solar, clean cooking, transport, carbon) are drawing money, and which startups might be next to scale.

Author (style)

Punchy: This is a timely, high-impact raise. The details matter — who’s committed, what’s deployable now, and the fund’s sector priorities — because they shape deal flow and opportunities across African cleantech.

Source

Source: https://techcabal.com/2025/09/12/acumen-90m-kawisafi-fund-africa-climate-tech/